Mixing the real and virtual worlds to create something completely new, mixed reality is one of the least explored parts of today's immersive environments. While we have just begun to scratch the surface of mixed reality with AR (Augmented Reality), there is still a lot of work to do before we see a fully customized MR experience in the everyday world. Mixed Reality goes beyond the basics of AR to make the virtual and real worlds more connected and aligned than ever before. Creating a true mixed reality experience requires access to cutting-edge software and hardware, as well as endless creativity and intuition. Fortunately, there are a handful of companies in the MR space that are starting to make waves in the industry.

Varjo, the Finnish startup that has developed a virtual and mixed reality headset capable of "human-eye resolution" for use in various enterprise applications, has closed a $51.7 million in Series C funding. Existing investors including Lifeline Ventures, Atomico, EQT Ventures and Volvo Cars Tech Fund have also followed on. It brings total raised by Varjo to around $100 million to date. The company is also announcing the appointment of Timo Toikkanen, who was previously president and COO of Varjo, as its new CEO. Co-founder and previous CEO, Niko Eiden, becomes CXO where he'll be tasked with continuing to drive the company's technology innovations and, notably, remains a board member.

When it comes to virtual reality, achieving human-eye resolution is arguably the main objective -- you want to see things as they would appear in real life, right? In 2017 Finnish company Varjo said it was working on a headset that delivered exactly that, and despite a few delays in its timescales, it's now launched its VR-1 device which promises the high resolution of more than 60 pixels per degree -- equivalent to human-eye resolution -- for the modest price of $6,000. According to Varjo, the headset's resolution is 20 times higher than other devices on the market, and it comes with advanced eye-tracking capabilities. The company said it plans to introduce a mixed reality component later this year. Don't get too excited, though.